Horseshoe-n ail-finish ing machine



(No Model.) 4 SheetS Sheet 1. E. E. PIERCE.

HORSESHOE NAIL FINISHING MACHINE.

No. 363,417. Patented May 24, 1887.

1 1E252 lu emur;

Mat/ 6 $4? WW graph, Washington, D. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E.- E. PIERCE.

HORSESHOE NAIL FINISHING MACHINE.

No. 363,417. Patented May 24, 1887i.

0 2 a A I Z 3 1 I I X I J] 6 1 w f 1 .4 3 T I? 1 o 1' I I s z I I nu I I l l HI, N] f .I 1 A BI L 5255: lmrsmun- (No Model) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. E. PIERCE.

I HORSESHOENAIL FINISHING MACHINE. -N0.:363,417. Patented May 24, 1887..

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. E. PIERCE.

HORSESHOE NAIL FINISHING MAGHINE. No. 363,417. Patented May 24, 1887.

N PETERS, Phokilhugnpher, Washington.

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.ERASTUS E. PIERCE, OF NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

HORSESHOE-NAIL-FINlSHlNG lvlACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,417Jdated May 24, 1887.

Application filed April 3, 1586. Serial No. 197,714. (No model.)

To all whoflt it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Enils'rus E. lrnnon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Brighton, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in N ail-Finishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the finishing of the forged blanks of horseshoe-nails; and my invention consists in cold-rolling and indenting the blanks while carried by side dies, and in then shearing the surplus metal from the points,-and in the construction and arrangement of devices for effecting these operations, as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a View illustrating such parts of the machine as operate directly upon the nailblanks. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the machine; Fig. 3, a detached edge view of part of the transfer device. Fig. dis a plan view of the machine; Fig. 5, a plan view showing the parts ina different position. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 7, a sectional elevation; Fig. 8, a fullsized plan of the nail-blank.

Before describing the general structure of the machine, I will refer first to the essential features or parts which operate directly upon the nails to reduce them from the rough state in which they leave the forging-machine to a completed condition. The said essential parts are a nail-blank hopper or reservoir, A, a nail-holder, B, roller-diesfg, carrying fingers D D, clamping side dies, m m, a transfer device having jaws n n, and cutting or shearing devices 0 p q. These parts are so constructed and operated that the fingers D will seize a nail-blank at the bottom of the hopper A at the same that the dies in seize a blank held in the holder B, and as the fingers move'from the hopper A the jaws move from adjacent to the holder B, and a nail-blank will be carried from the hopper to the holder by the fingers D at the same time that the dies at carry the preceding blank from the holder between the roller-dies to a position to be seized by the jaws a n, and the latter will then revolve a half a revolution, and hold the blank in a position to be sheared, and will then release it.

The above described parts may be constructed in different ways, and will vary in form somewhat, according to the character of the nail to be finished.

The hopper A consists of a bar having a T- headed channel, a, open at one side, so that the blanks may be introduced at the top, with their heads in the widest portions of the channeI, their shanks projecting through the narrower portion, and the bottom of the channel is closed by a tongue, a, constituting a part of a lever, F, swinging on a pivot, 3, and kept normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring, a

The end of the tongue and opposite face of the hopper A are beveled, so that the tongue will be thrown downward from the hopper as the fingers D pass between the same to grip the head of the lowest nail-blank, and the lat ter is carried away from the hopper as the fingers move in the direction of their arrow, Fig. 4, the tongue at closing automatically to prevent any other blank fromleaving the hopper.

The holder B consists of a narrow disk, (I, and a narrow overhanging blade, 0, toward which the disk is pressed by springs d, acting .upon the bearings of the disk, the latter yielding as the naiLblank is carried between the disk and the blade, and clamping the nailblank against the blade, when the fingers separate prior to returning to a position to seize another blank from the hopper.

The jaws m m, which seize the blank after it has been placed in the holder, consist of thin blades, the edges of which conform to the shape of the sides of the nail carried by levers GG, vibrating upon pivots 4., projecting from an arm, H. A hub, I, at the lower end of the arm H rocks between bearings in the side frames, K K, of the machine. The jaws are vibrated upon their pivots to seize the blank when it is to be taken from the holder and to release it when it is to be carried to the cutter, but hold it firmly as thejaws carry the blank between the dies by which it is polished and beveled.

The dies consist of two disks or rollers, fg, the upper disk, f, being cylindrical, and the lower disk having at the edge a projection, t, which indents the blank near the end to imin hearings in the side frames of the machine,

the hubs being separated when the jaws are to be opened to receive and deliver a blank, but being normally carried'toward each other by the action of springs a, coiled round the shaft L, and each bearing upon one of the hubs and a shoulder, a, upon the shaft.

The hubs may be caused to slide at proper intervals upon the shaft by means of different devices; but I prefer to use a notched disk, q, capable of turning freely in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, upon the shaft L, but prevented from revolving in the other direction by means of a spring-catch, g, which engages with the fiat edge of one of the notches as the latter is brought opposite the shoulder of the catch.

The opposite edge of each notch acof the disk q is'beveled upon both sides, as shown in the edge view, Fig. 3, and each jaw n has a lug, 1", which bears against the side of the disk (1 as the latter is held stationary, when the jaws swing towardthe blank held by the jaws m m and keep the jaws separated from each other until the lugs r r are brought opposite the notch or adjacent to the jaws m m, and when the jaws n are at the opposite sides ofthehead of the blank the lugs r will pass into the notch, and the jaws n will be caused to grasp the head between them. As the shaft L is turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the arms and jaws it, together with the disk q, will be turned with the shaft until the shoulder of the spring-catch g enters the notch or.

The partswill then be held stationary until the blank is sheared. As the motion of the shaft'L is reversed the disk q will be retained stationary by the spring-catch, but the lugs r of the jaws a a will be brought against the beveled edges of the disk above the notchx, whereby the jaws will be separated, so as to release the finished nail, and will be held separated as they slide by and in contact with the disk until their lugs are opposite the other notch 00, when they will enter the latter and the jaws will be brought together upon the blank now held by thejaws m m.

The cutter consists of knives p and an anvil, o, secured to a cross-bar, M, extending between the side frames, the upper end of the anvil corresponding in form to the taper to be imparted to the end of the nail.

The edges of the knives are beveled to correspond to the beveled edges of the anvil, and

the said knives are carried by a revolving head or disk, 0, having a peripheral groove, 8, into which the knives project, and thek nives are so arranged as to shear close to the edges of the'anvil'and cut off the sides of the nailblank upon the lines a c, Fig. 8, the shearing only extending to the line 1 y.

In order to center the nail-blank upon the anvil, I use blades or bars, which are brought against opposite sides of the blank after the transfer-jaws n have ceased moving. These blades may slide in bearings carried by the side frames. I prefer, however, to connect them to the cutter-head O, in which case each blade consists of a curved spring-plate, 7c, wider at one end than at the other, fitting closely to' the periphery of the head and bolted thereto at its narrowest end by a screw or bolt, 5.

Normally the inner edges of the blades lc are not in a position to make contact with the nailblank; but as the widest portions of the blades are brought between arms j j, projecting from theside frames, the blades are forced inward until their inner edges touch the sides of the nailblanliv and the latter is carried to a position exactly centering with the end of the anvil. By this means the failure of the jaws n to grip the nail-blank in such a manner as to properly present it to the anvil is immaterial. I also use centering bars, plates, or blades to insure the proper presentation of the nail-blank to the holder B. These jaws may be constructed and operated in different ways. As shown they consist of arms or rods b, each swinging at its outer end upon supports upon one of the side frames and being acted upon by a spring, b, which tends to maintain it in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, and each bent downward at the end, so as to insure its contact with the shank of the nail-blank as the latter is carried between the disk d and blade 0 of the holder.

The centering-bars I) are swung outward from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4 by the contact therewith of the fingers D, when the latter move toward the hopper or reservoir, and as the fingers move back to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the springs 12 cause the bars to follow the movements of the fingers until their bent ends are in contact with the blank.

The fingers may be carried by any suitable moving parts of the machine; but I prefer to fasten them to the sides of the levers G G, so that as the levers open or close to'separate or bring together the jaws m they will also separate or bring together the fingers.

The blades constituting the jaws m may be slotted, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, and clamped to the levers G G by means of bolts 6 and clamping-plates 7, so that they may be adjusted to and secured in any suitable position.

The lower ends of the levers G Gare brought toward each other to separate the jaws m m by means of a spring, a, connected at its op- IIC posite ends to the lever; but the jaws are brought together at their upper ends to clamp and hold the nail-blank by the vibration of levers N N, each vibrating upon a pivot, 8, supported by the arm H, and the inner end of each lever resting upon the end of a sliding bar, P, the opposite end of which terminates at a point coincident with the axis of the hub I.

Against the inner end of the bar P bears a finger, i, which extends into a recess, 10, in the hub, and is carried by a lever, B, vibrated at intervals, so as to raise the bar 1? and vibrate the levers N Nwhenever it is desired to bring together the jaws m m, the recess w permitting the hub to vibrate while the fingeri is in contact with the bar P, this contact being maintaincd so as to permit the bar to be moved, whatever may be the position of the parts, by the contact of the bar and finger at the axis of the hub, where there is no movement of the contacting parts.

The revolution of the lower die or disk, is effected by means of a rack, S. carried by or with the arm H, and gearing with toothed pinions T T, which in turn gear with pinions U U upon opposite sides of the die 9.

In order to compensate for the wear of the die which must be raised from time to time as the periphery wears away, the rack S has its bearing upon screws 8 s, the former turning in threaded openings in the arm H and the latter in threaded openings in a bracket, stboltcd to the arm H by the pivot pins or bolts 4.

By turning the bolts 8 s the rack may be raised or lowered, as desired.

In order to secure the proper adjustment of the die 9, which adjustment must be varied when a change is made from one size nail to another, I use a lever, V, vibrating upon a pivot, 9, supported by the arm H, one end of the lever extending into a recess in the rack, and the other perforated for the passage of a serew-bolt, W, pivoted to an car on the arm H and provided with nuts 10 10, by adjusting which the lever may be vibrated, so as to carry the rack to any desired position upon its bearing-bolts s. V

It will be obvious that other means of adjusting the rack longitudinally may be employed.

The upper die or roller, f, has its hearings in a bracket, K, supported by a cross-piece, K, connecting the side frames, K K 5. but the lower die and its driving-wheels T cannot be supported in cross-pieces, inasmuch as the levers G vibrate across the lines of the axis of the die and pinions. The latter aretherefore supported by two parallel cheek-plates, Y Y, which extend longitudinally between the levers G G, and carry between them the die and pinions, the inner ends of the cheek-plates being supported by a bracket connected to the cross-bar M, and the outer ends being supported by a rod, Z, attached at its lower end to a cross-bar, Z. The rod Z is threaded, ex-

tends through the barZ, and is provided with nuts z 2, by turning which the rod Z may be raised and lowered, so as to adjust the cheekplates and the parts carried thereby to any de sired position.

Although I have referred to a revolving shearing device, it will be evident that an ordinary reciprocating cutter may be employed.

I havenot illustrated the means for conveying motion from the drivingshaft V" to the various parts of the machine, as these will be evident to any one skilled in the art.

It will be evident that some of the features above described may be used in connection with finishing-machines of different constructions', and that some may be omitted without impairing the efficiency of the others.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I

claim.

1. In a machine for cold-rolling horsehoenails, a pair of traveling side jaws fitted to the sides of the nail-blank, combined with rolling-dies arranged to act upon theopposite faces of the blank as it is carried between them, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the hopper and shearing device of a horseshoenailfinishing machine, of a stationary nailholder, rollingdies, and reciprocating carrying fingers between the hopper and holder to conduct the blanks from the hopper to the holder, reciproeating clamping-dies constructed and operating to conduct the blanks from the holder between the rolling-dies, and a transfer device operating to conduct the nail-blanks from the clamping-dies to the shearing device, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the positivelydriven cold-rolling die, of clamping-dies at opposite sides of the rolling-die and supported by a vibrating carrier traveling past the rolling-die and geared to moveat a speed approximating that of the periphery of the rolling die, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the positivelydriven roller die, vibrating arm H, and levers pivoted to said arm and carrying clamping-jaws coinciding with the form of the shank of the nail, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the cold rollingdies, ofahopper, a blank-holder, and recipro' eating-fingers arranged and operating to seize the blanks successively from the hopper and conduct them to the holder, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the rolling-dies, of a holder for supporting successive nail-blanks each in a position opposite the jaws, and reciprocating clamping-dies traveling past the rolling-dies on opposite sides thereof and carrying the blanks successively between the dies, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the rolling-dies, reciprocating clamping-jaws, shearing device, and transfer appliances whereby each blank arms b b is carried between the clamping-jaws and the shearing device and retained until sheared and then released, substantially as described.

8. The hopper consisting of a vertical bar or case having a T-headed slot and'close'd at the lower end by a tongue, in combination with reciprocating fingers swinging to and from the hopper and constructed to move the tongue to release a blank as they are brought in position to seize the latter, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the rolling-dies and hopper and an intermediate holder for retaining the blanks after each is transferred from the hopper and before it is delivered to the dies, substantially asset forth.

10. The combination, in the holder, of a blade and a disk arranged opposite to the blade, with, spring-bearings permitting the parts to yield for the intermediate passage of a. nail-blank, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of the side clampingjaws and a rollerdie, g, the clamping-jaws being carried by vibrating supports, and the roller-die having its hearings in cheek-pieces extending between the vibrating supports, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of the vibrating arm carrying the clamping-dies, the roller-jaws, and a rack carried with the vibrating arm and geared with the lower roller-die, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination of the roller-die, vibrating arm, levers carrying clamping-jaws, hopper, holder, and gripping-fingers hung to said levers, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination, with the hopper and holder and the gripping-fingers, of guide-rods b b for centering the blank in the holder, substantially as set forth.

15. The combination, with the holder and vibrating gripping-fingers, 0f pivoted guideforth.

16. The combination, with the lower rolling-die, reciprocating-rack, and gears, of vertically-adjustable bearings for the rack, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination, with the vibrating arm carrying the side jaws, and rack carried by said arm, of means for adjusting the rack longitudinally, for the purpose specified.

18. The combination of the vibrating arm H, levers G G, pivoted to the arm and carrying the side jaws, and levers N N, and operating devices for vibrating the levers G G, subst antially as set forth.

19. The combination of the arm H, levers and springs 21, substantially as set scribing witnesses.

G G N N, rod 1?, extending to the center of the shaft carrying the arm, and a lever, B, provided with a pin bearing against the end of the said rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. The combination, with the side jaws and shearing device, of an intermediate transfer device constructed with jaws and devices for opening and closing them, to carry the blank from the side dies and present it in a reversed position to the shearing device, substantially as set forth.

. 21. The combination, with the side jaws and shearing device, of arock-shaft carrying hubs H H, sliding upon said shaft and provided with gripping-jaws, and with means for separating and bringing together said jaws, substantially as described.

22. The combination, with the rock-shaft L, of arms provided with gripping-jaws and lugs 9, disk q, having notches, and beveled adjacent to each notch, and catch q, substantially as set forth.

23. The combination, in the shearing device, of an anvil, a revolving head carrying cutters arranged-to shear against the edges of the anvil, and a guiding device for centering the blanks upon the anvil, substantially as described. I,

24. The combination, with the revolving cutter-head and its cutters,of the curved blades k, each secured to the head at one end and increasing in width toward the other, and stationary armsjj, substantially as set forth.

25. In a nail-finishing machine, grippingjaws arranged to clamp the blank along the sides, combined with rolling-dies arranged to act upon the opposite faces of the blank while held by the jaws, substantially as described.

26. The combination, with the finishing rolls, of gripping-jaws carried by reciprocating supports moving past the sides of the rolls, said jaws constructed to grip the blanks at the sides and carry them between the rolls, substantially as described.

27. The combination, with the finishing-dies and shearing device, of the intermediate transfer devices, whereby the blanks are carried be tween the dies and shearing device and reversed, substantially as set forth.

In testlmony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- ERASTUS PIERCE.

' Witnesses:

JOHN P. EDGAR, O. M. MERRICK.

IIO 

